


the counseling of a polygamous relationship is a struggle

by waywardaussies



Category: 5 Seconds of Summer (Band)
Genre: AU, M/M, OT4, Therapy, marriage counseling au
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-06-10
Updated: 2015-06-10
Packaged: 2018-04-03 17:57:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,511
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4109914
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/waywardaussies/pseuds/waywardaussies
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Dr. Taylor is a marriage counselor in L.A. He has helped many famous couples. There is nothing he can't do.</p>
<p>Well... maybe there's one thing...</p>
<p>~*~</p>
<p>ot4 go to marriage counseling</p>
            </blockquote>





	the counseling of a polygamous relationship is a struggle

**Author's Note:**

  * For [strangebyler](https://archiveofourown.org/users/strangebyler/gifts), [rocketshiptospace](https://archiveofourown.org/users/rocketshiptospace/gifts).



> ID LIKE TO THANK PEYTON FOR GIVING ME THIS IDEA AND ELLIE FOR ALWAYS GIVING ME OT4 FEELS
> 
> I HOPE YOU GUYS ENJOY!!

Los Angeles’ own Dr. Taylor has worked with many famous couples as a marriage counselor. He helped Brad and Angelina mend their marriage in the early 2000s, Khloe and Lamar’s marriage was way past fixing when he saw them, he even worked with Ellen Degeneres and Portia de Rossito help better their relationship. And even with his many patients, Dr. Taylor has never ever refused to help any of them, despite their various crazy problems. He also was very open to all relationships: lesbians, straight, gay; he never judged.

But… he has never counseled a polygamous relationship. So when his assistant buzzed the four men into his office, he was quite shocked. However, like all counseling sessions, he remained professional and greeted the men like any other couple (or… group).

“Welcome boys. Please, take a seat.” Dr. Taylor said, before looking at the single loveseat. “I-uh… will get more chairs.”

“That would be nice, thank you.” one of them said, then sat down. He had longer brown hair that was pulled back into a bun. The next boy to sit down had blonde hair and a rather long body (compared to the other boys). He sat down and fiddled his fingers, looking back and forth from the bun-styled boy to another boy with an eyebrow piercing. Lastly, the tanner skinned boy crossed his arms and huffed out in annoyance. 

Dr. Taylor picked up his phone to call the front desk for two more chairs, which the assistant brought in within minutes. Once the boys and Dr. Taylor were seated, the doctor leaned back and slightly lifted the paper that held the boys’ information. 

“Well then, let’s get started. I am Dr. Taylor and what I’d like to do first is help you boys surpass this hostile tension that, frankly, I can feel from here. So, why don’t you all introduce yourselves and we can begin.”

The boys glanced at each other quickly, as if having a quick conversation with each other, then the blonde leaned forward slightly and whispered, “I’m Luke.”

Once he spoke, the other three had no problem introducing themselves. 

“Calum.” The tan boy said.

“Michael.” The boy with the piercing said.

“Ashton.” The boy with the bun said. 

“Well, it’s a pleasure to meet all of you. Now, let’s get down to it. What seems to be the underlining problem that resulted in you coming here today?”

It was a war ground after that.

“It's just that... no one listens to me!” Ashton exclaimed, throwing his hands up in the air in exasperation.

“That’s cause all you ever talk about anymore is KFC.” Michael argued back.

"I never have new underwear.” Calum complained, looking over at Luke with annoyance.

“Michael makes fun of me all the time! And he ripped Pengy.” Luke cried out. 

“Pengy…?” Dr. Taylor asked quietly, but was ignored.

“It was an accident you big baby!” Michael said harshly, turning to give a disgusted look at Luke. Luke stuck out his bottom lip in a pout at Michael’s words, causing Ashton to get mad at the boy.

"Michael, quit being a dick to Luke!” Ashton defended Luke.

“Fuck off KFC boy.” Michael mumbled under his breath. 

"I still need new underwear.” Calum’s complaints were falling on deaf ears as the sounds of the other boys arguing overpowered him.

“Ok ok ok!” Dr. Taylor exclaimed, trying to settle the boys down a bit. Their voices started to merge into one loud sound, causing the doctor to press his fingers to his temples to stop the pounding. The boys quieted after a moment of yelling, giving the doctor a sympathetic look. Dr. Taylor sighed, taking off his glasses and cleaning them with the end of his sleeve. “You know, you boys are my first ever polygamous relationship to counsel. So please excuse me for any language or forgetfulness on my part.

“However, I find it very hard to counsel a group of individuals when each of them have their own problems, and they all want to voice them at the same time. So, instead of yelling on top of each other, why don’t we start from my left to right. So, Calum, please tell me what problems you have in this relationship.”

The other three boys seemed upset that they weren’t picked first. But Calum, in true childish fashion, straightened his back and smirked at the others, then turned to the doctor. “Luke steals everything of mine! He has no consideration to privacy, especially mine, and likes to take my things and use them for himself. Like, for example, he steals all my underwear!”

“Why do you think I do that?!” Luke asked. “It’s cause you never show me any love or attention! It’s always to Michael or Ashton. You and Michael have more of a ‘connection’ or some shit, and you and Ashton always go one hikes and adventures and I’m excluded!”

“Well you have more of a ‘connection’ with Ashton than with me or Mikey!” Calum argued back. “And it’s not my fault that Mikey was my first love when I was 12!”

“Yeah, but I don’t isolate you or anything!”

“Ok Calum,” Dr. Taylor interjected. “Now that you’ve heard Luke’s side, do you understand why he steals your things?”

“No! Cause that still doesn’t explain why he does it!” Calum yelled at the doctor.

“Cause I’d like something of yours, you moron!” Luke responded, leaning forward over Ashton and turning his head towards Calum to talk to him directly. “We haven’t had sex in almost 3 months! Is it too much to ask for some of your boxers and actually have something of yours?!”

“We haven’t had sex cause you’re always with Ashton!” Calum argued back. 

During this entire exchange, Dr. Taylor sat at his chair, extremely confused. “I-I’m sorry… but you boys have sex separately? I’d thought it would be more of a… group effort.”

“You can say orgy Doc,” Michael said bluntly. “It’s ok to use a big boy word.” His face contorted in a smug grin as he leaned back on the chair and crossed his arms over his chest. 

“Uh-w-well then… orgy.” Dr. Taylor stuttered out. 

“We do, but not always.” Ashton explained. “Most of the time, we like to just be intimate with one other person. We rarely ever do three-ways cause we feel that the one left out would feel neglected.”

“That didn’t stop you guys from doing it that one time.” Luke mumbled quietly, but Michael heard him. 

“It was one fucking time! We were drunk, and you were at your mom’s for the weekend for her retirement party. Which, by the way, we weren’t invited to!”

“That doesn’t make me feel any less neglected.” Luke huffed, leaning back in his seat and slouching his shoulder forward. 

“So, at a estimate, when was the last time any of you boys were intimate with each other?” 

“Two months.” Ashton said. 

“So for two months, you boys haven’t had any sexual relations?” They boys all collectively shook their heads no. “Even with outsiders?” Another collective negative shake. “Well, I’d just like to commend you boys for that. I get a lot of people who come in here that say they haven’t had sex in a week and would go seeking other means to it. So that’s very good that you’ve managed to stay loyal to each other even through the fighting and hostility.”

“We may fight, but we’d never cheat.” Michael said as if it was a well-known fact and Dr. Taylor was clueless to it. “We’re not cheaters.”

“Good. That’s very good.” Dr. Taylor smiled at the boys, before turning to Ashton with a small nod of the head. “Now, Ashton. Please voice your problems within this relationship.”

“I feel like no one listens to me.”

“Maybe if you stopped talking about stupid shit that no one cares about, we’d listen.” Calum said under his breath. 

“I listen.” Luke said softly, placing his hand over Ashton’s—which was resting on his leg. 

“Oh don’t you kiss up to him now!” Michael spat. “You are just as annoyed as we are with his constant talk about ‘I used to work at KFC’ and ‘Guys! Did you see that painting of the hand on that wall? It’s so artsy!’.” Michael’s imitation of the boy caused said boy to pout, ducking his head in shame.

“You don’t have to be rude about it.” Ashton said.

“And you don’t have to be so repetitive about it.”

“Well Ashton, it is true that conversations that seem to be all the same have a tendency to anger or irritate people. Have you tried not talking about your old job at KFC or pointing out every mural in L.A.?” 

“I don’t always talk about it. I just… when I get excited about something, I tend to talk about it. Even if no one seems to care.” 

“We’re sorry that we shut you out, Ashton.” Luke apologized, giving Ashton a soft look. “We promise we’ll listen to you more often, right guys?” Luke turned to Michael with a hard stare, causing Michael to huff and agree.

“This is wonderful!” Dr. Taylor said. “We are making progress! Luke, do you have any issues in the relationship?”

“Well…” Luke dragged on, crossing his fingers and fiddling his thumbs a bit nervously. “Michael makes fun of me when I go into headspace.”

Dr. Taylor tilted his head in confusion, not sure what the term ‘headspace’ meant exactly. “Um… headspace?”

Michael groaned, throwing his head back in exasperation, then straightened up and looked at the doctor. “Luke acts like a child when he gets stressed. Like, overwhelmingly stressed.”

“Ah, I see. So like, Multiple Personality Disorder?”

“No, not really… Well, I’m guessing it’s not like that. It’s more like a… defense mechanism.” Luke explained. 

“I’m surprised he hasn’t changed yet. He’s been fiddling his fingers all day, and even was scared to come here today.” Calum noted, turning to face the blonde boy. 

“I’m trying to control myself.” Luke stated, his eyes fixed to the ground. 

“Well, if I’m being honest, I’d like you to see a psychologist about that. You never know, it may be something serious.” Dr. Taylor said. “But nevertheless, can you control when you enter this headspace?”

“Not really.” Luke said simply. “Sometimes I force myself into it, but it’s sometimes painful. Like, I get headaches from forcing it. It mostly just comes naturally.”

“And you said it mostly comes out when you are experiencing immense stress or discomfort?”

“Yeah, mostly.”

“And the other boys are bothered by it.” Dr. Taylor stated, looking at the others for confirmation. Michael nodded firmly. Calum shrugged, but nodded. Ashton didn’t do anything. “Ashton? You are ok with it?”

“Well, it doesn’t bother me. I’d just wish he didn’t do it at the most inappropriate times.”

“What would be an instance where he transitioned at an inappropriate time?”

“In public.” Ashton turned to Luke and gave him a sad look. “Like, for example, he went into his headspace during a show and I had to try and get him out of it. But once he’s in it, it’s hard to get him out. He performed half of the show in his headspace.”

“I don’t mean to…” Luke said quietly.

“I know you don’t,” Ashton assured. “It’s just… it’s hard to control you when you’re a little.”

“As for the rest of you,” Dr. Taylor said, looking at Calum and Michael. “You boys are uncomfortable with Luke going into his headspace.”

“It’s just… weird!” Michael exclaims. “One minute I’m talking to him about something, and the next he’s playing with tiny racecars and crying how he wants his stuffed penguin!”

“And Calum?”

“Well, it’s a little bit unsettling. But as long as it happens in the privacy of our home, I don’t care. Like Ashton said, it’s when it’s in public that it’s a bit hard to take.” Calum looked at the floor, suddenly feeling very self-conscious about his positioning and word choice. He didn’t want to upset Luke too much, but he wasn’t going to lie. 

“Well, I’m not a specialist in that specific psychological disorder, so I advice you to see someone. Maybe they can help you control it better while in public.” Dr. Taylor spoke to Luke, watching as the younger boy nod in understanding. “As for Michael, I think you should calmly state your issues with Luke’s spontaneous child-like behavior, instead of putting him down.”

“Michael is incapable at being tenderhearted.” Ashton said slyly under his breath. Michael was about a second away from ripping the other boy’s face off if it wasn’t for Dr. Taylor intervening.

“Ashton, we don’t need any comments like that.” Dr. Taylor turned back to Michael with a long glare, then said, “Please talk to Luke calmly about how his child-like behavior bothers you.”

“It’s fucking—”

“No swearing.” Dr. Taylor said sternly.

Michael sighed. “Luke,” Luke looked up at Michael with puppy eyes. Michael groaned. “I think that when you go into your headspace in public, it’s embarrassing for the rest of us. Especially on stage.”

“I-I… I know. I tr-try not to do it.” Luke stuttered, his mouth turning downwards in a frown.

“I—” Michael inhaled deeply, letting the air out slow before finishing. “I know you try. I’m sorry for being mean to you about it.”

“It’s ok. I’ll try harder.”

Dr. Taylor smiled. He glanced at the clock on the wall, clapping his hands once before sitting up out of the chair. “Well boys, looks like our time is up today.”

The four boys all looked at the clock on the wall, seeing how 45 minutes had passed so quickly. The light outside had turned orange and dark pink, when it previously was bright blue. They all gave each other a small smile and got up. 

“Thank you Doc, we really appreciate you helping us.” Michael said with a small smile, reaching forward to shake the man’s hand. Dr. Taylor accepted the hand and shook it back. 

“Pleasure. It was great meeting you boys. If you need another appointment, you can make one at the front desk.” Each of the boys said a goodbye to the doctor, then left the room. Dr. Taylor sat back down in the chair, leaning back. He had another 15 minutes before his next couple came in, but he needed one thing before they came. 

Reaching down to the drawer to the right of his desk, Dr. Taylor pulled it open, taking out a bottle of Scotch and a small glass. He placed the glass on the desk, opened the bottle, and poured it into the glass. Once the liquid filled the glass to nearly the brim, the doctor closed the lid of the bottle and placed it down. His hand made its way to the glass, wrapping his fingers completely around it, lifting the glass to his lips, and downing the Scotch.

Once he was done, he put the glass down with a “clink” and sighed. 

“I’m going to need more Scotch.”


End file.
